Le groupe italien Selex Galileo collaborera avec le King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) jordanien, pour le développement d’un drone tactique léger destiné à l’équipement des forces spéciales. L’accord doit permettre le lancement des installations de développement dès le début de l’année prochaine, pour la production à terme d’une gamme complète de systèmes, allant du Falco à des engins plus légers, voire de mini UAV.

Cet accord intervient après une campagne d’essais réalisée l’été dernier, par temps chaud. Les deux partenaires refusent de préciser le lieu des essais, mais, selon certaines sources, ceux-ci se seraient déroulés en Libye, où Selex table sur un contrat de protection des frontières. Un contrat dont la signature se fait néanmoins attendre. Le Falco aurait réalisé des vols de 14 heures, avec une charge utile de 45 kg, notamment lors de vols de nuit  L’appareil emportait notamment un radar PicoSAR de type AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array). Un système déjà testé sur les CAMCOPTER S-100 de l’autrichien Schiebel, qui permet une cartographie de la zone survolée à une altitude de 3 000 pieds et des éléments en mouvement. Un capteur électrooptique offre une analyse plus précise des éléments en mouvement. Le Falco aurait également montré sa capacité de pilotage HO/TO (Hand Over /Take Over), permettant à un opérateur de prendre le contrôle de l’appareil entre les différents points de transit. Ce partenariat italo-jordanien s’inscrit dans la stratégie d’Amman de développer l’expertise de KADDB sur l’ensemble des nouvelles technologies. Au printemps dernier, KADDB et l’américain RiverHawk Worldwide LLC créaient ainsi le joint-venture Jordan RiverHawk Shipbuilding and Support, PSC, destiné à la production et la commercialisation du navire de patrouille maritime de 57 mètres AMP-137 (Advanced Multi-mission Platform). Par ailleurs, après sa coopération avec Islamabad, la filiale de Finmeccanica préparerait l’organisation d’une présentation du Falco auprès de plusieurs Etats du Golfe dans les mois prochains. A noter, enfin, que Selex escompte une décision favorable pour l’acquisition du Falco par l’armée italienne au début de 2010.

The Italian group Selex Galileo and Jordanian King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) will collaborate in developing a lightweight tactical UAV designed to equip Special Forces. The agreement should enable the launch of the project early next year. The partnership aims to develop a complete range of systems from Falco to mini UAVs. The agreement comes after a season of hot weather testing for Falco. If both partners refused to specify the location of these flight tests, it could have take place in Libya, relying on a pending contract (Border Protection). The Falco have made 14 hours flights with a payload of 45 kg during night flights. The UAV carried a radar PicoSAR AESA (active electronically scanned array). The system was already tested on CAMCOPTER S-100, produced by the Austrian Schiebel. PicoSAR allows the mapping of an area flown at an altitude of 3,000 ft and the detection of ground moving elements. An electro-optical sensor allows more precise analysis of moving objects. After confirmation of the cooperation with Islamabad, the subsidiary of Finmeccanica could also organize a demonstration of Falco for several Gulf States in the coming months. Selex also expects a favorable decision from Rome to the acquisition of Falco, early 2010. The Falco provides ability to an operator to take control of the UAV between the key points of a transit flight (hand-over task orientation / Hand Over – Take Over). This new Jordan partnership is the latest in the strategy of Amman to develop KADDB’ expertise on all new defense technologies. Last spring, KADDB and American RiverHawks Worldwide LLC created a joint venture named Jordan RiverHawks Shipbuilding and Support, PSC. The structure is dedicated to the production and the marketing of a 42 meters-137 AMP (Advanced Multi-Mission Platform) patrol vessel .

Life got started a little late today (I’ve been in the office, but I had a few things to catch up on, so I apologize for the lateness of this). I used to rock to this song when I was a teenager:

Falco UAV

Pak Air Force has formally started the production of pilotless drone planes in collaboration with an Italian company, a news channel reported Thursday.

FALCO UAV – Pakistan According to details issued by the PAF, the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra has commenced producing the pilotless planes Falco UAV in collaboration with Selex Galileo of Italy. Aeronautical Complex chief Air Marshal Farhat Hussain said pilotless Falco UAV highly important for the country’s defence, adding the production of the planes will greatly add to the professional capabilities of PAF.

Farhat said Pakistan is now a member of the club of countries manufacturing drone planes. The system will be used mainly for aerial reconnaissance and information gathering, although the PAF will later also induct UAVs equipped with weapon systems to carry out offensive operations.

——————————————————————————————

Drones: Made in Pakistan
By Salman Siddiqui

Looking at the facility from outside, no one would guess what goes on within the 90,000-square-foot research facility of Integrated Dynamics (ID), a privately owned company in Karachi. There are no signboards indicating that ID is in the business of developing drone technology for military and civilian use. Surprisingly, there isn’t even an army of security guards manning the complex as one would expect upon entering the gate. A lonesome gate keeper lets us in without a fuss.
Even more startling is the ease with which R.S. Khan, ID’s chief executive, states that ‘drone technology has existed in Pakistan for the last 20 years.’

A large variety of UAVs are manufactured by Integrated Dynamics at the facility in Karachi.

The Tornado is a target and decoy UAV with a range of over 200 kilometres. It can reach speeds of up to 300 knots and can emit false radar signals to confuse enemy air defences.

The Shadow is also a surveillance UAV that has a speed of over 200 kilometres per hour and can operate within a 200-kilometre range.

The Rover is a civilian UAV typically used for electronic news gathering and rapid information relay.

The Nishan MK-II is seen here against the backdrop of Shadow and Explorer UAVs. The Nishan has a wingspan of over 9 feet and is considered a high-speed aerial target or decoy. Its range is limited to 35 kilometres.

The explorer is one of the two advanced civilian UAV systems offered by Integrated Dynamics. It has a 20-kilometre range and is equipped with sensors suited for scientific research programmes.

The Border Eagle is a surveillance UAV that comes equipped with both a still and video camera along with a chemical monitoring module.

Integrated Dynamics also features ground station units that are used in combination with the UAV systems.

Khan, who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics, is quick to clarify that his company has ‘never been asked to develop a drone which has an armed implication.’ Instead, ID develops advanced Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle (UAV) systems capable of reconnaissance missions as well as target decoys for anti-aircraft missiles. His customers, he says, include the armed forces of the country as well as foreign buyers from the US, Australia, Spain, Italy and France.

Although he may not have been asked to develop an armed drone, Khan, who previously worked as a consultant for Pakistan’s aerospace agency Suparco, points out: ‘If we consider the fact that drone development has been taking place in Pakistan for the last 20 years, I think the technology for flying long-range autonomous missions has existed for at least 10-12 years.’

Given Khan’s estimations about local drone development, it is unclear why Pakistan is asking the US to handover its armed drone technology, especially that of the infamous Predator. President Asif Ali Zardari recently told the British daily Independent that the US should give Pakistan the ‘weapons, drones and missiles that will allow us to take care of’ the militant threat in the tribal areas.’

Drone terminology

Model aircraft: Typically a remote-controlled unmanned plane that flies within the visual range of an operator.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: A remote-controlled unmanned plane that can fly beyond the visual range of an operator. It is usually fitted with remote sensors and/or cameras.

Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle: An advanced form of unmanned aerial vehicles, it may have a range of hundreds of kilometres and an endurance of months. Moreover, the mission can be pre-programmed in such systems and can be completed with or without the assistance of an operator. Some advanced versions also use artificial intelligence.

Drone: In Pakistan, drones are usually associated with advanced unmanned autonomous vehicles that are fitted with lethal firepower (for example, the American Predator and Reaper drones). Target drones do not have combat capability and are used as decoys to simulate fighter aircrafts and test anti-aircraft batteries.

‘If you ask anyone in Pakistan involved in the business of making unmanned UAVs whether something similar to the Predator drone aircraft can be made, the answer would be yes,’ explains Khan. ‘I won’t say we can make it overnight or by tomorrow. But I won’t say either that it is a matter of decades. I would say that, if given the task, we can make such aircrafts in a few years.’ As a technologist, Khan is hesitant to speculate as to why the Pakistan government or armed forces are not investing in home-made technology. ‘I think you need to ask the policy makers that.’

UAVs in Pakistan

Interestingly, there are several public sector companies involved in developing UAVs in Pakistan, including the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Air Weapons Complex (AWC) and National Development Complex (NDC).

The PAC’s Uqaab drone is in use by the Pakistan Army, and, according to unconfirmed reports, is being upgraded with Chinese help to carry a weapons payload. Other PAC UAVs include the Bazz and Ababeel. AWC’s Bravo+ UAV is in use of the Pakistan Airforce (PAF). The PAF recently acquired an unarmed Italian drone called the Falco UAV, which is reportedly being used for surveillance and battleground assessments in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. In 2008, the Pakistan Navy also reportedly completed trials of UAVs – the Austrian Schiebel Camcopter S-100 and Swedish Cybaero – from a Pakistani frigate in the Arabian Sea.

Private sector companies are also involved in the design and development of UAVs. Apart from ID in Karachi, East-West Infinity (EWI), Satuma and Global Industrial Defense Solutions (GIDS) are in the drone-making business.

The EWI’s Heliquad UAV is considered a stealth design because of its small size and Whisper Watch signals intelligence package, which is capable of picking up radio and other communication signals. ID’s Nishan Mk1 and TJ1000, Vision MK1 & MK2, Tornado, Border Eagle, Hornet, Hawk and Vector are also popular models employed by the armed forces for reconnaissance missions and target practice (each model varies in range and endurance). Satuma’s UAVs, with similar functionalities, are called Flamingo, Jasoos and Mukhbar. For its part, the GIDS develops the Huma-1 UAV and its own version of the Uqaab.

Even though almost all UAVs in the country have been built for military applications – reconnaissance, simulations, decoy systems, remote sensing – none of them are reported to be capable of firing arms. Moreover, none of the above-mentioned facilities are involved in large-scale, mass production of UAVs.

Policy on drones

It is still not clear what Pakistan’s policy regarding unmanned drones is. On the one hand, Pakistan has ‘condemn[ed] in the strongest terms’ any US drone attack. On the other hand, reports have emerged that the US has the tacit approval of the current government.

Previously, former president Pervez Musharraf had reportedly authorized Washington to launch Predator drones from secret bases near Islamabad and Jacobabad. Google Earth images of an airbase in Balochistan hosting Predators had also emerged at a time when Pakistan was adamantly claiming that all drones were flying in from Afghanistan. More recently, the Pakistan Army ‘practiced’ shooting down drones, but even then, foreign aircrafts continued to rain in their missiles.

ID’s Khan explains that shooting down drones to prevent attacks is a viable option. ‘From a technical standpoint, all it takes is a simple air-to-air or surface-to-air missile to bring the drone down. Almost all of these aircrafts have a very low radar signature. But they’re not undetectable. They can be detected,’ he says. ‘The question really is whether one wants to bring one down or not.’

Drones vs. casualties

Quote

‘The question really is whether one wants to bring one down or not.’

According to news reports, US drone attacks have killed around 701 people in Pakistan since 2006, including 14 alleged Al Qaeda leaders. Although armed UAVs or drones provide safety to their operators since they cannot be harmed if the aircraft are shot down during combat operations, they come at the cost of scores of civilian casualties, who bear the brunt of aerial raids. Therefore, it is debatable whether the armed drones, even if built and controlled by Pakistan, would actually make a difference in terms of changing the sentiment of the people against their devastating impact.

The way forward

Apart from their use in a military context, there is a need to deploy UAVs for the benefit of Pakistani communities. UAVs abroad are being used for a variety of civilian services, including search and rescue operations, environmental analysis, assisting local law enforcers, scientific research and even transport. Situational awareness about a potentially hazardous or calamity-hit areas, for example, in the aftermath of an earthquake, could also be gained through the use of such systems.

The responsibility of implementing this vision rests not only with the companies that develop UAVs, but also with government bodies that should utilise drones to improve their image and efficiency. After all, drones are not exclusively killing machines.

Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/drones-made-in-pakistan

Nous vous parlions de la présence sur Internet et notamment sur le réseau Twitter de Michel Vauzelle et Thierry Mariani. Nouveau rebondissement… mais avant retour sur le début de la web campagne.

Mi-octobre, pour pointer le peu d’assiduité à la Région de la tête de liste UMP, des enchères ont été ouvertes sur le site de vente Ebay … le fauteuil de Mariani était alors à vendre ! Les blagues se poursuivent sur le net et c’est encore la député du Vaucluse qui en fait les frais !

C’est sur Twitter que Thierry Mariani s’est découvert la victime d’un nouveau canular. Si l’élu possède bien un compte sur ce site, il en existait en revanche un second tenu par un usurpateur. “Un journaliste du Post avait été malmené dans certains messages par l’utilisateur de ce compte. Il m’a finalement appelé pour me demander s’il s’agissait bien du mien, c’est ainsi que j’en ai moi-même découvert l’existence.“

Face à cette situation, le candidat UMP se dépêche alors d’inscrire un message sur son Twitter pour mettre fin à toute ambiguïté : “www.twitter.com/thierrymariani est mon seul compte officiel“. Peine perdue, son imitateur se dépêche d’en faire de même. Finalement, le député vauclusien se résigne à prévenir Twitter pour obtenir la suppression du faux compte. “J’ignorais comment il fallait faire. Je me préparais même à déposer plainte aujourd’hui… et puis j’ai appris ce matin que le compte avait été supprimé, l’affaire est close.“

Alors qu’ il avait refusé la tête de liste en PACA, Hubert Falco a annoncé mercredi 25 septembre, qu’il serait tête de liste dans le Var.  Pour justifier sa décision, il a expliqué que Nicolas Sarkozy ne lui avait pas laissé le “choix”…

Il est vrai que Hubert Falco a tout à y gagner, il siègera au Conseil régional tout en conservant ses autres mandats, notamment à la Mairie de Toulon.

Décidément l’UMP est prêt à tout pour récupérer la région PACA. La campagne s’annonce houleuse…

Ist dieser Satz ein Beweis für Falkos Existenz?

Fragen:
Warum hat Falco genau diesen Song so kurz vor seinem angeblichen Tod herausgebracht?

These:
Hat er sich in Wirklichkeit zurück gezogen, um seine Privatheit zu genießen und ist jetzt knapp bei Kasse?

Wie kann es sonst sein, dass “plötzlich” nach 11 Jahren neue Songs von ihm auf den Markt kommen?

http://www.zeit.de/newsticker/2009/11/15/iptc-bdt-20091115-36-23002360xml

Le parachutage à Toulon de Razzie Hamadi échoue et Michel Vauzelle s’affiche plus que jamais comme un seigneur qui contrôle son fief. Du coup, ça fait réfléchir aussi les communistes qui trainent des pieds pour appliquer la ligne du Front de gauche.
Les portables s’affolent dans le cabinet de Michel Vauzelle et dans les diverses fédérations du PS de PACA. C’est désormais officiel, l’ancienne icône du MJS national ambitionne un retour aux sources dans le Var. Mais voilà, tout le monde ne l’entend pas comme ça, et sa candidature apparaît rapidement comme un boulet pour Vauzelle et ses camarades. Jeudi soir, l’affaire semble entendue, Razzye Hammadi ne fait plus partie de la liste varoise. Un premier coup de semonce de la part des militants locaux est alors envoyé vers Solferino, le siège du PS. En substance, le message est clair et se résume ainsi : « Nous pouvons garder la région, ne nous plombez pas ! ».
Cliquez ici pour lire la suite de l’article de JC Bouildé / Marianne 23.11.2009

Langsam, aber mit zunehmender Geschwindigkeit, vergleichbar der sinkenden Titanic, säuft das “Modell Jörg Haider”, also ein durch und durch in Freunderlwirtschaft und dubiose Geldjonglierereien verstricktes Bundesland, ab. Jetzt geraten die letzten Reste des kärntner Familiensilbers ins Visier der Bayrischen Landesbank, von der die BZÖ-Propaganda so dummfrech behauptet hatte, man habe sie quasi “übertölpelt”. Die wahren Tölpel werden sich noch wundern, was in den kommenden Wochen und Monaten noch ans Licht kommen wird.

Und hier habe ich einen Song, den ich gerne allen BZÖlern und den Profiteuren aus deren Umfeld widme, denen jetzt der Arsch auf Grundeis geht:

sabato 7 e domenica 8 novembre le balde scolte viandanti concluso il servizio con le sorelline più giovani (coccinelle e guide)  e le baldissime scolte semplici conclusa la collaborazione con l’associazione San Vincenzo per la raccolta di generi alimentari si è avviata verso la parrocchia di Mossano sui pioventi colli berici e la trafficata Riviera Berica che ha permesso al Fuoco di ascoltare mezzora di diretta radiofonica con “radio sorrriso” e la capo che  intonava ogni canzone trasmessa (anche e sopratutto se non la conosceva).

Il raduno all’insegna della comunità ha avviato ufficialmente il lavoro delle 4 equipe acciacate dalle sindromi influenzali che però non si sono arrese, ci sono stati momenti di festeggiamenti per i brevetti di Kiru e Farfalla da aiuto capo e una grande accoglienza alle quattro a detta loro “sconvolte” scolte semplici che hanno affrontato per la prima volta una dura e toccante uscita di Fuoco. Sconvolte in senso positivo dal clima di Famiglia Felice che si respira in Fuoco! (obiettivo raggiunto!) e da una serie di pregi che (modestamente) non sto ad elencare..

La pioggia ci ha lasciato giusto il tempo di farci intonare attorno ad un allegro fuoco di bivacco intrattenuto da due scoiattoline autoctone canti allegri e danze gaie. (la pioggia è stata mandata ai Rovers)

La sera è stata poi dedicata ad un trapasso di nozioni dalle veccie scolte alle giovani nella speranza di procedere nel cammino e debbo dire come inviata speciale che il caro e vecchio Treppiede riesce ancora ad emozionare e ad essere utile.

La domenica mattina una pioggia di monete d’oro ha travolto le ragazze dormienti, in verità erano due talenti a testa (sarà colpa della crisi economica) e ha fatto parlare di mete personali, detto ciò zaino in spalla e via per nuove avventure.. gara cucina inclusa!

FRASI CELEBRI!

Lince: Vrustel! (registrato e attuale suoneria della capo)

Serval: Ma dovete prorio ridere anche di notte?

Scolta: chi vuole mangiare ancora? Serval: io (e vince l’ambito premio scolta dell’anno rubando la fascia a Cerbiatto che a sua volta la rubò a Lince che la ereditò direttamente dal Capo supremo Falco)

Pettirosso: Se volete lo faccio io! (mica è instancabile per niente!)

Fate strada, aprite la via, sgombrate il cammino,

togliete dalla via del mio popolo

ogni inciampo (Isaia 57, 14)

Sex, Suff & Drogen! Falcos Manager verrät alles

 

Er liebte das Leben, er liebte die Frauen: Falco 1987 auf einer „Playboy“-Party

Er war einer der größten Popstars unserer Zeit – und einer der geheimnisvollsten. Elf Jahre nach dem Tod von Falco († 40, „Jeanny“) veröffentlichte sein ehemaliger Manager Horst Bork ein Buch über das Musikgenie. In „Falco – Die Wahrheit“ (Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf) enthüllt er u. a.:

• Falco legte aus Eifersucht Feuer in einem Hotel!

Falco hatte sich 1986 auf dem Flug nach Osaka (Japan) eine Stewardess ausgeguckt. Abends im Hotel verschwand ein Crew-Mitglied mit der Blondine auf dem Zimmer. Falco schrieb „Verräter“ auf einen Zettel, zündete ihn an und schob ihn unter der Zimmertür durch. Die Sprinkler-Anlage ging an – Schaden: 20 000 Euro. Falco: „Teurer Scheiß.“

• Falco versoff seinen größten Vertrag!

Die Plattenfirma „Virgin“ hatte ihm 1986 12 Mio. Mark für drei LPs geboten, doch Falco verpasste den Flieger nach London – Vollrausch! Bork: „Das Ergebnis langer Verhandlungen und Anstrengungen, gescheitert an Alkohol und Pillen.“

• Falco nahm seinen Mega-Hit „Jeanny“ im Drogenrausch auf!

„Er wollte sitzend singen, denn ,Jack Daniels‘ und Kokain hatten ihre Wirkung bereits getan“, erzählt Hans Bork. „Im Wechselspiel aus Aggression und Verzweiflung sang er wie um sein Leben.“

• Falco lag in der Nacht, in der seine angebliche Tochter Katharina (heute 23) gezeugt worden sein soll, besoffen hinterm Hoteltresen!

Falcos Freundin Isabella behauptete während der Schwangerschaft, ihr Kind sei im Sommer 1985 im Altstadt-Hotel in Graz gezeugt worden. Doch in besagter Nacht hatte sich Falco an der Bar des Hotels heftig betrunken. Horst Bork erinnerte den Sänger später „an seinen komatösen Zustand und die gesicherte Unmöglichkeit, in diesem Zustand einen hochzubringen“. Der zischte zurück: „Mag sein, dass du recht hast, aber ich will jetzt ein Kind.“

1993 ergab ein Bluttest, dass Falco nicht der leibliche Vater von Katharina ist.

Anzeige: “Falco: Die Wahrheit – wie es wirklich war!” – das Buch gibt’s hier!

Well, despite Wolfgang AMADEUS Mozart reached the top hits in Salzburg in the mid 70´s (1773 to 1777 LOL), it was Falco that reached the top charts in the 80´s with this great song in the last century.

Falco – Rock Me Amadeus

Falco ist mittlerweile seit 11 Jahren tot, aber es wird einfach nicht still um den ersten weißen Rapper.

Es war 1985 als er den ersten Teil von “Jeanny” veröffentlichte. Und wie schon seine vorherigen Songs, schlug auch dieser ein wie ein Bombe, erreichte u.a. in Deutschland, Schweiz, Österreich, Schweden, Norwegen und den Niederlanden Platz 1. Ein Jahr später koppelte er aus seinem Album “Emotional” Part II “Coming Home” und auch dieser erreichte u.a. in Deutschland und Schweden Platz 1. Part III nahm er 1987 auf, veröffentlichte sie aber nie. 10 Jahre später starb er bei einem Autounfall in der Dominikanischen Republik.

Insgesamt 21 Jahre staubte Part III im Keller einem Frankfurter Studio vor sich hin. Nach einem Rohrbruch musste das Archiv geräumt werden und so wurde “The Spirit Never Dies (Jeanny Final)” und viele weitere unveröffentlichte Songs veröffentlicht. Darunter wenige Songs, auf denen man Falco auch singen hört. Zusammengestellt auf einem neuen Album werden sie am 4. Dezember 2009 im CD-Regal oder Downloadshop deines Vertrauens zu finden sein.

Und jetzt genießt die finale Version von “Jeanny”.

FALCO, …unvergessen durch seine Songs wie zum Beispiel Jeanny Part I aus dem Jahr 1985 und Jeanny (Coming home) als Part II aus dem Jahr 1986…. oder natürlich auch Rock me Amadeus und anderen coolen Songs…. kommt mit “Neuen”,  bisher unveröffentlichten Songs auf CD zurück !
….

11 Jahre nach Falcos Tod kommt nun die Sensation!
Der 3. Teil von Jeanny – “The final” wird veröffentlicht.

……...

Der 3. Teil der damals geplanten Jeanny-Trilogie wurde 2008 zusammen mit einer weiteren Handvoll unveröffentlichter Songs durch einen Wasserschaden in einem Frankfurter Archiv entdeckt.  Falcos damaliger Produzent Gunter Mende hatte die Kiste nach Falcos Tod dort stehen lassen, weil er dachte da steht sie wohl erstmal gut…. Falco hatte die Songs damals nicht veröffentlichen lassen, weil der Stil der Songs bei der Plattenfirma wohl nicht gut ankam. Denn es soll sich nicht so angehört haben, wie man Falco kannte bzw. wie man sich ihn vorstellte … er wollte sich wohl weiterentwickeln und komponierte eine andere Art von Songs, als das, was man bisher von ihm kannte…und vielleicht auch erwartete ….

Also staubten die Stücke über 20 Jahre -bis zu dem Tag des Wasserschadens, an dem das Archiv geräumt werden musste- im Archivkeller vor sich hin. ….nachdem die Kiste an Gunter Mende geschickt wurde und er sich die Masterbänder angehört hatte, muss er begeistert gewesen sein und Dank hochtechnologischer Arbeiten wie zB. Erwärmung der Bänder im Inkubator wurden die analogen Mehrspurbänder nun fit gemacht für die digitale Produktion.

Am 04. Dezember 2009 soll die CD erscheinen und ich bin gespannt auf die neuen Songs, die da heißen sollen:  “Return to Forever” , „Nuevo Africano“, “Qué pasa Hombre“, „Poison“, “Sweet Symphonie”,  „Kissing in the Kremlin“,  “Dada Love” – und „The Spirit never dies – Jeanny Final“.

….

kleiner Vorgeschmack von “Jeanny – The Final” gefällig ?::::

…

…..

…..

I swear he grows a third arm about halfway through this video.

I thought this might be fake or CGI, but a search for other YouTube videos featuring Falco Scheffler proves this guy really knows how to handle his balls!

Source:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riqkA3HKHB8

Waterviola’s review of the perfect pop song got me thinking about who held the title of best song between Falco (Rock Me Amadeus) or Thomas Dolby (Blinded Me With Science)?  Love to know the WordPress readers vote, let us know! Vote on the right sidebar!

Rock Me Amadeus – Click here to listen

Blinded Me With Science – Click here to listen

MORE OF SUPERCOOL FALCO, ALSO SHOT BY ENZO LAERA

THIS is the batch of CDs played this week, along with some Falco via the magic of Spotify.

I was in Vienna for five days two years ago. That is my entire experience with Austria outside of a history book. (I do, however, have a lot of experience with Austria in history books, as the Hapsburgs amuse me for some reason.) In those five days, I got the odd sense that Vienna stopped at the turn of the 20th century. Or at least, that they encouraged outsiders to think that they stopped at the turn of the 20th century. Nothing in my guidebooks recommended sights past then, nothing in the hostel recommended a modernity past the idea of fin-de-siecle cafes and the like. Art nouveau, maybe, and lovely, but not contemporary. Of course, being the scattershot history geek that I am, all I really wanted to see were Hapsburg palaces anyway, but it’s something I noted, and also noted in comparing reflections of Vienna with friends of mine who’ve gone. There was a time when Vienna felt fresh and modern; it hasn’t been for a while.

There’s something about Vienna Calling that reflects that. A translation I read says that it’s a nonsense song about girls that works by arrangement and melody. I think whoever wrote that is missing the point. Yes, it is a nonsense song about girls that works by arrangement and melody, but it’s also about being from a city that isn’t cool, that loses its most glamorous, and still loving it.

Of course, it begins with a snippet of a waltz. What else is there?

Lyrically, it starts with discussions of other glamorous places- Stella sitzt in Rio, Stella liegt in Tokio. Second verse is the theoretical Vienna girls- the first part of the chorus, my favorite part, ends with “where have your women gone”- having changed their names to things more glamorous, supposedly to go somewhere more glamorous. The dancers stop.

The thesis of the song is, to me, in the beginning of the chorus. “Wien, nur Wien, du kennst mich up, kennst me down. Du kennst mich. Nur Wien, nur Wien, du nur allein.” Vienna, only Vienna, you know me up, know me down. You know me. Only Vienna, only Vienna, only you alone.

I think sometimes about not having a hometown, in that sense. I moved to Denver when I was old enough to resent it, but young enough so that now, I’ve forgotten most of DC. There is nowhere that knows me up and down. It’s not hugely remarkable, and there are people who moved around far more than me, but I still wonder what I’m missing.

It’s also fitting that the above section is my favorite part of the actual song. That if I didn’t know any German, or wasn’t interesting in looking up the words, I’d still like it the most. Falco has a weird way of singing- I’m sure in the 80s it was referred to as rapping, but with twenty years of rap behind us I find it really hard to describe it as that. It does have similarities, in being a mix of speaking and singing, in an odd cadence. It’s all about holding certain words, drawing out certain syllables and rushing others. It’s that quality of the vocal, however you define it, that makes Vienna Calling something that I keep listening to. When it’s less prominent, towards the end, I’m less interested.

Like a lot of songs I find worth writing about, it’s a song geared towards a chorus. The chorus gets the most noise- other voices, effects, and the most simplicity- a refrain wordless ‘woa-oh-ohs,’ a few English words. It has an almost choral quality. Yet unlike most of the songs on this list, it’s the other parts that bring me back to it. The words hanging on the synth-drum beat. Musically, it’s entirely of its era, extremely representative of the pop sounds of 1985 (the year I was born). The guitar and bass sound almost embarrassing now, hanging out in the background of the left side of my headphones, but there’s something charming about the whole thing. It’s the non-synthesizer elements that date it more than other songs of the era, but I think that fits it. It is not a cool song. Vienna is not a cool city. But I liked Vienna an awful lot, and I like this song, too. Despite everything.

(A side note: hearing him repeat “Tucson, Arizona” in the context of an interesting place is hilarious. I understand it sounds cool- there are definitely city names in Austria and Germany that I like saying for no good reason- but there is no situation in which Tuscon, Arizona is an interesting place.)

Ho letto la trama dell’episodio del 3 novembre de “Il Falco e la Colomba” oddio… ma davvero la sceneggiatura diceva così?

Giulio tenta di liberare Elena dal convento di Castro. Gli uomini di Fra Michele, però, lo stanno aspettando e, dopo uno scontro a fuoco, il capitano rinuncia alla missione e si stacca dal gruppo dei suoi per facilitare la salvezza degli altri compagni d’armi.

Elena si sente tradita dalla madre, e fugge dal convento con Marietta alla ricerca di Giulio.
Dopo essersi ritrovati, i due amanti riescono a vivere qualche ora di pace con l’aiuto di Giacchieri, che nel frattempo organizza per loro una pronta fuga ad Ischia. (ma isola o “di castro”?)
Ma ormai l’intrigo contro di loro coinvolge personaggi potenti…

Mah…

So I’m having a “Berlin Wall Fall” party this Saturday.

Saturday is the 7th, of course, but the 9th (Monday) is to hectic; I need to be up on Tuesday.

The Berlin Wall

Anyways, I’m hoping everything follows the “theme”, dressing like it’s 1989 (none of this 1984 poofy side-ponytail business), etc.

Definitely going to play some Hasselhoff and Falco, in addition to any other 80s German tunes I can dig up.

Other ideas:

• sugar cookies, vanilla icing, use the “spray paint” style icing spray to make them look like wall chippings
• Berlin Wall pinata? This might be hard to make, but we could “tear it down”
• Framed photo of “The Hoff”, basically to mock the fact that he thinks he’s responsible for the fall…
• Reagan/Kennedy? I would die if my guy friends dressed up like them…

I really hope everyone else gets into the theme, it’s dorky, but I’m proud of that… and us German club kids are a little geeky. Hope everyone else appreciates that!

Anyone else have any ideas? Maybe this is the time to break out that Maultaschen recipe, I could make mini Maultaschen! But Maultaschen aren’t typical Berlin… Berlin is North Germany… so…

I will post my successes/failures!

“Rock Me Amadeus” (moi)

Haha-hahahahahahaha-hahaha!!!

Some inspiration! And, the fabulous original song from the two-hit-wonder Falco.

Poser!

The “Queen of the Night” (CJ)

Glam Close-Up

It's hard work bein' a queen!

On a good night!

On a bad night! This delicious kitsch mash-up was also inspiration for our rock/opera costumery.

Oon aina tykännyt kovasti itävaltalaisesta Falcosta. Falco on syntynyt samana vuonna kuin minä mutta kuollut jo 11 vuotta sitten.

Tässä Falco on täysin suvereenisti oma itsensä, mutta sitten törmäsin videoon, jossa Falco oli epävarma. Arvaankohan, miksi ?

Tutkin asiaa lisää. Oujjee, tässä mulle roolimallia kerrakseen: Brigitte Nielsen in Galaxis

Attityydi on mulla ainakin ihan oikea …